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MarketPulse

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- U.S. stocks ended little changed on Friday, with Wells Fargo & Co.
(wfc)
weighing on the financial sector after the bank reported a decline in its net interest margin. The Dow Jones Industrial Average
(djia)
rose 17.21 points, or 0.1%, to end at 13,488.43; for the week, it gained 0.4%. The S&P 500 index
(spx)
finished virtually unchanged at 1,472.05 compared to 1,472.12 in the previous session, which had marked a five-year closing high. For the week, the index rose 0.4%. The Nasdaq Composite index
(comp)
climbed 3.88 points, or 0.1%, to end at 3,125.63, posting a weekly rise of 0.8%. In the financial sector, shares of Wells Fargo dropped 0.9% after the bank reported quarterly results.

03:50PM

Democrats urge 'any lawful steps' to increase debtby Robert Schroeder

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- Senate Democrats on Friday urged President Barack Obama to take "any lawful steps" to increase the U.S. debt ceiling if congressional Republicans balk at raising the country's borrowing limit. "We believe you must be willing to take any lawful steps to ensure that America does not break its promises and trigger a global economic crisis -- without congressional approval, if necessary," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and other top Democrats wrote to Obama. The U.S. is on track to hit its borrowing limit as early as mid-February. Republicans want spending cuts in exchange for boosting the limit.

02:45PM

Oil futures slip, but gain for the week
(
CLG3
)
by Myra P. Saefong

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Oil futures settled lower Friday, easing back from gains seen in the previous session as traders gauged signs of demand from China. February crude oil
(clg3)
fell 26 cents, or 0.3%, to settle at $93.56 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Prices, which had briefly climbed past $94 on Friday, ended last week at $93.09. Traders worried that "reports of lower Saudi production might offer a glimpse of what Saudi Arabia knows -- that demand is worse than the consensus perception," said Matthew Parry, senior oil-market analyst at the International Energy Agency. There are also concerns that "today's heightened Chinese inflationary figure limits the scope for too much additional government support," which is likely what's driving the strong recent pace of Chinese oil demand growth, he said.

02:32PM

Biden, video-game makers meet at White Houseby Robert Schroeder

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- Vice President Joe Biden opened a meeting with video-game makers at the White House on Friday, part of the Obama administration's response to the mid-December shootings at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn. The White House is seeking input from game-makers and the entertainment industry about cultural factors that may contribute to violence. Biden met with gun-rights groups on Thursday and said that he will outline recommendations about curbing gun violence to President Barack Obama by Tuesday.

02:01PM

U.S. Dec. budget deficit $260 million: Treasuryby Robert Schroeder

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- The U.S. government ran a budget deficit of $260 million in December, the Treasury Department reported Friday, bringing the total shortfall for the first quarter of fiscal 2013 to $292 billion. Receipts in December were $269.5 billion, while the government spent $269.7 billion in the month. Year to date, the deficit is 9% lower than in the first three months of the prior fiscal year. The U.S. government's fiscal year runs from October to September.

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Gold futures finished with a loss Friday, but posted a gain on the week as the market looked to recent economic data from China for hints on demand for the metal. February gold
(gcg3)
settled at $1,660.60 an ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange, down $17.40, or 1%, for the session. It settled at $1,648.90 a week ago. "The overall trend is higher into next week," said Jeffrey Wright, managing director at Global Hunter Securities. Still, "volatility continues to be high in gold and silver with sharp intraday swings. I would anticipate this level of movement to continue near term."

12:36PM

Fidelity to publish money fund NAVs dailyby Steve Goldstein

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- Fidelity Investments said it would publish its money-market fund net asset value on a daily, instead of monthly, basis, starting on Wednesday. "Historically, the per-share market values of our money market mutual funds have fluctuated by only tiny fractions of a penny each day. Providing more frequent disclosure of these minute changes will help investors better understand how vigilant we are in keeping our money market mutual funds safe and in maintaining the $1.00 NAV, which has always been and continues to be our No. 1 objective in managing these funds," said Nancy Prior, president of money markets for Fidelity. Fidelity said the move does not affect the $1 stable net asset value that continues to apply to all Fidelity money market fund transactions. Former Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Mary Schapiro pushed unsuccessfully for money funds to have floating NAVs, and the SEC may introduce a proposal on the topic.

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